Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-06-04
NTTRO-GLYCERINE.
FACTORIES IN EXISTENCE IN eREA1
 NUMBERS IN THE OIL REGIONS.

NONOGhhO NN Ahh- VI
 An Explosive Which Annihilates iti
 Victims, Leaving scarcely a Trace Be
 hind-PeriIs of its Manufacture and
 Transportation-SOme Incidents
 Since the expiration of the Roberts oL well torpedo patent, which was the only torpedo with which oil wells could bt legally shot. and out of the patent or which Dr Roberts made a fortune Oi several millions of dollars, manufactures of nitro-glyCeriue have come into exist ence in great numbers in the oil regions, and are now scattered in anything but re assuring proximity to many towns and villages. One of the most extensive nitro glycerine factories in the world is located between Warren and kinzua. Al this factory they make 10000 pounds of the deadly explosive every day, and a score of magazines are distributed about the country for the storage of the stuff, which is ready canned for use in the wells.
 CONSTANT ANTICIPATION.
 These magazines are supplied by wagons from the factory. and while mod eru appliances and legal enactments have greatly decreased the terrible casualtits that once characterized the transpOrta- tation of nitro-glyccrine about the couu- fry in this way. they are still frequent and friyhtful enough Co keep the com munities in which they occur in a state oi constant and fearful anticipation of theiT repetition. The wagons in which these cans of nitro-Elyceriue are carried Co the rlagaZines. and in turn Co the wells that are to be torpedoed. are made especially for the purpose. The cans are fitted ID softly upholstered apartments in the wagon body to prevent sudden concussiOn that the passage over the rough roads of the region would otherwise make liable At any moment, and which might explode a can and annihilate all within sound oi it. Under the cans a zinc tray is fitted SC that any leakage cannot reach the aNles- In the early days of nitro-glycerine trans pOrtatiOu this precautlUn was not taken, and it was a common occurrence Tor the acid Co leak from the cans, drop on the axles. and there become exploded, XII l ing team and driver. Scores Of persons were blown tJ atoms in that way, before l the zine tray was introduced
 The lower Pennsylvania and Ohio oil districts are supplied with rO-glycerine ! by means of boats run down the Ale | gheny and Ohio rivers. The boats are stiletto shaped craft, @0 feet in length and feet wide. They are loaded with 10000 pounds of nitro -glyccrine each and manned by two men. \ collision be- ! tween one of these boats and other craft ! on the river would be followed by horri- ble consequences, and they are given 8 wide berth. The men who run the nitro N.. HsaHHfa .N wherever night overtakes them, and not tO run a minute after it gets dark. The men. as may we'll be imagined are with out fear, and manage their dangerous craft with a nonchalance and independ- ence that is a source of perpetual terror tO the crews Of ordinary boats, and Co the citizens of towns by which the deadly cargCes are ruE-
 A SAEBOw ESCAPE.
 On one occasion the crew of nitro glycerine boat was overtaken by dark ness at lonely spot in the woods. The night was cold and the men were hungry, and they decided Co keep on until they reached the village of Brady's Bend. which was three or four miles further down stream. It was a dark night, and when they were within a mile Of the
 
 dark form of a raft not more than 1OO feet ahead of them. They had only time tO shout tO the men on the raft Co jump. for a collision seemed inevitable. As they shouted tO the raftsmen the men on board the uitrO-glycerine boat jumped overheard and put as much distance Hs they could between themselves and the expected explosion, with little hope of escaping with their lives at that.
 The men on the raft did not under stand or appreciate their danger. as they could not see that a torpedo boat was bearing down upon them. The raft. moreover, was being pulled to shore tO tie up for the night. The uitrO-glycer- inc boat came up gently alongside of it, straight ahead, and scraped along it's edge Gs 1t passed on down. The moment it came along side The raft the pilot saw what the craft was and that it had been abandoned by it's crew. The frishtful consequences that must inevitably ensue 1T the boat went down on the river with no one to Cuide it struck the pilot at once and plunging from his raft he swan swiftly after the boat, caught up with it, boarded it, and ran it safely ashore and tied it up The men who belonged to the boat, fearful that the citizens of the place would lynch them, did not put in an appearance at Brady's Bend, and have not been seen in the oil regions since.-Warren Pal Cor. Chicago Her ald